Veena Srinivasan appointed to Prince Claus Chair

As of first September 2018, Dr. Veena Srinivasan will hold the Prince Claus Chair at Utrecht University for her research in sustainable and inclusive food production in Asian delta regions.

Dr. Srinivasan has been appointed to the International Development Studies research centre in the Department of Human Geography and Planning (Faculty of Geosciences).

With this position, Dr. Srinivasan will not only contribute to delta and food research conducted at Utrecht, but also to play a role in further intensifying collaboration between Dutch and Indian institutions.

Deltas in Asia are fertile areas and therefore densely populated and hubs of economic activity. A great deal of food is produced in deltas, both for the domestic population and for export. However, due to their location in low-lying ground, these delta regions are vulnerable to river and coastal flooding. Construction to cater to the flourishing economy and growing population has caused additional subsidence, and the effects of this are already visible on food production.

A sustainable and inclusive transition

With her research at Utrecht University, Dr. Srinivasan wants to contribute to a transition in the Asian delta areas to sustainable land use, with room for both food production and urbanisation. On one hand, she is researching how land use can better anticipate changing circumstances such as drought, flooding and urbanisation. On the other, she is keen to work towards changes to water management in delta regions, so that the transition is both sustainable and inclusive.

Dr. Srinivasan aims to contribute to more involvement from the local population in both the decision-making process and the transition to sustainable food production and urbanisation.

Pathways to Sustainability

Dr. Srinivasan will participate in two transdisciplinary research programmes: ‘Water, Climate and Future Deltas’ and ‘Future Food’. Both programmes which are part of ‘Pathways to Sustainability’, one of Utrecht University’s four strategic research themes.

Prince Claus Chair

The Prince Claus Chair in Development and Equity is a chair that is held alternately by Utrecht University and the International Institute of Social Studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Both institutions use the chair to advance research and education in the field of international development and equity, in line with the ideas and work of the late Prince Claus.